Your new home is easily the best. Right? The nicest place to be yourself. It’s the right mix of cosy, chic and comfortable. Especially if it is a home like Advaitha Aksha, with the latest amenities, including but not limited to large terraces, gym, swimming pools and a whole lot more. When your home has such beautiful space, it is only natural to want to add really nice things. You don’t want to compromise on any aspect of your home. But are you one of those people who also believe that nice means expensive? We’ll bust that myth and tell you 5 things you absolutely can buy on a budget that look and function just as well as their expensive counterparts.

1. Fancy Soaps for Guest Rooms: Fancy soaps are nice, of course, natural, made in the hills and brimming with essential oils. But there are a lot of artists who make beautiful soaps that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Even better, you can opt for regular off the shelf hand soaps, they are just as effective.
2. Throw Pillows: We’re talking about show pillows. Pillows that you will never use to sleep, pillows you’ll throw on the couch, the bed and forget about. While, we wouldn’t suggest going out of your buy cheap pillows, just letting you know that ‘expensive’ throw pillows don’t make much of a difference in the long run.
3. Ceramics: Sure, fine dining china is an investment, but are the pots in your balcony the same? Well, before you buy expensive ceramics, we suggest you check out the local markets for getting the same quirky, beautiful ceramic pots and decorative pieces on a budget. We have nothing against name brand home decor stores, but just letting you know that the quality doesn’t change if you’ve sourced a pot from a local small store or a decor outlet.
4. Art and Decor: This one is controversial, while you can’t put a price on art, it’s not something you buy ‘just because everyone is’. Not all art is expensive, or rather being expensive isn’t what makes it art. If you have a friend who is an artist, have them commission a piece for you. If you travel a lot, collect trinkets that are unique, if you click a lot of pictures, have them framed, if you have heirlooms, display them. By showcasing your travel, your life experiences, your heritage and your exquisite taste in art and decor, you will make an even bigger statement.
5. Very expensive plastics: You don’t need a bathroom stool that’s made from virgin plastic and is a 100% food grade. A lot of times, most people get caught up with details rather than look at the functional purpose of certain things. Bathroom stools, fruit baskets, soap dispensers, vacuum hooks for the kitchen, scrub pads and effectively most plastic serves a functional purpose. Unless it comes directly in contact with your food, don’t stress too much about ‘quality’. Again, in materials like this, expensive doesn’t mean better. It’s all plastic at the end of the day.

As new homebuyers, there is a certain urgency to stock up your home with all the good things and we get it. But we’re just letting you know that there are certain things you should absolutely spend on and there are certain things that you can cut costs on without it affecting the quality of your life.